


Companion

by Mister_Spock



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Friendship, Gen, Hurt!Spock, Stranded, caringMcCoy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-27
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:19:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,660
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28369749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mister_Spock/pseuds/Mister_Spock
Summary: Spock & McCoy have crashed. Spock has been badly injured and McCoy needs to do everything he can to care for Spock and tend to all their needs until they're rescued.
Comments: 7
Kudos: 41





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I got a for a fic that sounded a lot like the plot of Beyond and for a few days that was all I could think of. Eventually, this idea came to me where McCoy has to be a lot more hands-on and Spock is a lot more helpless.   
> Hopefully, you like this. It won't be a huge long story but a few chapters I hope.

McCoy was gritting his teeth so hard, it gave him a headache. 

Sweat repeatedly dripped from his face and some ran from his forehead and into his eyes. He'd blink it away and keep going, despite the struggle.   
Because as bad as things were for him, he knew that Spock was bearing a hell of a lot more.   
He risked a brief glance across at his vulcan friend. 

Spock too was wet with sweat. The planet was hot for McCoy but it wasn't anything that Spock couldn't handle. His sweat came from the exertion. The crash had been bad and somehow, Spock had been injured and McCoy was absolutely unscathed. A bruise at most.   
But the shuttle took a lot of damage and the fire had started to spread quickly.   
Assessing injuries had to wait and he and Spock had clambered from the craft as quickly as they could. McCoy didn't need to examine Spock to see how badly he was hurting and without a word, he threw Spock's arm over his shoulder and they moved together. 

Spock's right leg was badly injured. How exactly he wasn't sure, but the movement was slow and Spock had to press a lot of weight on McCoy. Spock also kept his mouth tightly shut, desperate not to make a sound, not to cry out in the agony that we wore upon his face so plainly. Because even as a Vulcan, even as disciplined as he was, Spock could only bear so much. 

McCoy tried to stop and look at the injury a short time after leaving the craft and Spock insisted they find shelter first, and when McCoy had tried to argue, Spock had reasoned that he didn't think that when he stopped he would be able to start again.   
That admission has sobered McCoy like nothing else because he knew what it meant. When they stopped, he had to do it all. He had to find help, keep Spock alive, and tend to all their needs until they were rescued.   
And they both knew they had been days off course in meeting with the Enterprise so rescue was not just around the corner. It wasn't a matter of hours until rescue, but days, maybe weeks and that was a horrifying realization. 

There was nothing for shelter close to the crash site and as much as McCoy cursed that as bad luck, he realized with a smoldering, crash site, it might bring others to investigate. They didn't know what was on this planet. Spock had managed to find out it had a breathable atmosphere but that was all. The computers had gone down at that point and they just had to hope for the best. They had crashed in a large clearing and surrounding them in all directions were trees.   
Despite being the one injured, Spock was the one dictating the direction they were heading in. Several times McCoy wanted to stop, thought that the area they were in would make a good shelter, but Spock pressed onwards. McCoy trusted Spock and had to assume he knew what he was doing. 

Eventually, at another area that McCoy felt would make a good camp Spock gestured by a large tree. “Here,” he said. Spock used the tree for support when they got close enough and McCoy hovered nervously, wanting to help but unsure how until Spock was on the ground. Spock unzipped the survival jacket that he and McCoy had both donned before crashing, and dropped in on the floor by the tree. Clearly, he was planning to use it to make the ground slightly more comfortable, if possible. 

Quickly catching on to Spock's thought process, McCoy did the same so that the two jackets were lengthways next to one another. 

“You should keep that for yourself,” Spock said, breathing heavier than normal as he tried to recover. 

“I'll be fine,” McCoy dismissed. “I need to take a look at that leg,” he said, eager to assess the damage. He'd already seen his medical scanner was damaged in the crash so he'd need to make an assessment the old-fashioned way if he couldn't get the scanner working again.   
Spock nodded and started the process of sitting at the base of the tree, McCoy helping to support him the best he could. Spock sat propped against the tree but McCoy could tell something was wrong. 

“I can not sit like this,” Spock eventually ground out. McCoy assisted again and he got Spock laying on the floor. He could see some sense of relief in Spock's face when he was finally able to take the pressure off of the injured leg. 

“Shall I give you a minute?” McCoy asked. 

“No, do it now. I would like to meditate once you are finished. It will help with managing the pain and recovery.” Spock said. 

McCoy looked at the injured leg. And did a quick and gentle exam, wanting to ensure he didn't further injure the limb. There was a nasty gash on the outer calf. It was deep enough that it was a concern for infection but he had some supplies that should keep anything nasty out. As he continued inspecting the leg he found swelling over an area that seemed more painful. He'd prefer to inspect the wound and see if there was also bruising in the area but he suspected a break of the femur giving the trouble and pain it was causing.   
McCoy quickly cleaned and bandaged the gash on Spock's leg and administered a couple of hypos for pain relief and support Spock's immunity. 

Spock seemed to relax a little once the doctor had finished. “There's water close by. You should restock before night falls,” Spock said. McCoy wasn't sure whether Spock decided to rest or passed out but he closed his eyes and he didn't move or speak. McCoy wasn't intending to leave Spock prone while he filled up with water. They had some in the bottles in their packs and while it wasn't a lot it would do. There was no chance McCoy was traipsing off and leaving Spock completely vulnerable. 

Instead, McCoy searched the immediate area and never turned his back on Spock. He gathered sticks and rocks and started a small contained fire.   
He got himself one of the energy bars from his pack and ate that and he checked on Spock regularly to ensure he was still comfortable. 

For now, he had nothing else to do but wait.


	2. Chapter 2

Spock's return to consciousness was slow. 

He was aware of himself and the physical condition he was in long before he opened his eyes to take in his surroundings. 

Although he'd been conscious since the crash, he'd struggled to pay any real attention to what was happening around him. He'd focused mostly on finding a safer location than McCoy had repeatedly suggested, and moving forward.   
He was all too aware of how much pressure he was putting on the Doctor just to keep him upright, but there was little choice. 

When he finally opened his eyes, he saw the Doctor sat close by, keeping a wary eye out on their surroundings. 

“Did you find water?” Spock asked, watching as the Doctor startled at Spock's voice. 

“Gimme a heart attack why don'tcha,” McCoy said as he looked towards his friend. He let out an exhale that was dangerously close to a huff before answering. “No, I didn't want to leave you here alone while I wandered off, not when you were unconscious,” McCoy justified. 

Spock wasn't disappointed. He hadn't meant to fall unconscious, but his body had other ideas. “I am well rested now. You should go,” Spock encouraged. It was important that they have enough freshwater to survive. Spock would do better than McCoy in a normal situation, but being injured, he would have to rely on McCoy to do more for him, which would also take a greater toll on McCoy's own health. 

McCoy stood from his makeshift seat on a log and picked up a sturdy stick, placing it within reach of Spock. He also put down a piece of fabric that clattered together when it landed. Spock opened the fabric parcel to find some stones. “Well, you got to be able to defend yourself, even if it is limited,” McCoy reasoned. 

“Very considerate. Thank you, Doctor,” Spock said sincerely. “Spock indicated the direction of the water. “You should head that way. The water is not too far away,” 

McCoy nodded and took the two canteens with him, making sure Spock drunk a little first.

Spock watched the Doctor go and when he was out of sight, he tested his leg. Intense pain shot through his thigh with the slightest movement and he decided against trying to move any further. He would have liked to have been more upright. Perhaps when McCoy returned, he could help him to adjust the jacket underneath him to prop his head up a little more. He was flat on the ground and not only did he feel vulnerable, he looked it too.   
If there were to be anyone who may stumble upon them, Spock would look to be prone. Spock did appreciate his acute hearing ability then. He could still hear McCoy's distant footsteps and the water running however far away it was. He knew he'd be able to pick up on the sound of anyone approaching the campsite and despite how he looked, he was not defenseless.   
That could easily work in their favour to anyone thinking Spock was vulnerable to attack. Because he could still defend himself. The sticks and stones McCoy gave him may scare off a primitive species or a hungry animal, but anything bigger would need more persuading that Spock wasn't a tasty meal to be had. And he had no concerns that he would be able to convince most creatures away from him. McCoy however, was not as strong. He was fine with a phaser and he wasn't a weak man by any standards, but he also was a healer, and doing harm didn't sit well with him.   
Spock had his own misgivings about violence due to his Vulcan heritage, but joining Starfleet meant that at times, force could be necessary, although he did his best to avoid it. 

Spock's biggest concern though was a food source. They had no idea of what food they'd be able to find and eating anything would be a risk. Spock would check the packs but McCoy had left them both out of reach.   
Perhaps, not an oversight by McCoy. 

~

Spock had done a good job of finding a location close to the water but not too close. McCoy emptied one canteen into the other and tucked it back in his pack. Spock would have that one. McCoy then filled his own canteen up and attached it to his belt. He freshened himself up with the water.   
He took a quick look around. He'd seen no signs of life which was a good thing. He headed back to where Spock was quick, keen not to leave him vulnerable for longer than he had to. It took mere minutes to get back to Spock. He thought that if they yelled, they'd probably be able to communicate most of the distance. That wasn't a smart idea though. 

He worried if there were hostile inhabitants on the planet and if they found them, what they'd do with them. He worried about a lot of things. He spent the whole damn night staring at Spock worrying about every damn bad thing that could happen. He worried about infection and food supplies. Getting rescued. He tried not to think about Spock's injury too much which just meant that he thought about it whenever he wasn't worried about all the other things there were to worry about. 

Spock didn't appear to have moved at all since he'd left and McCoy sat down beside him. He knew Spock wasn't unconscious, just resting. “I got water,” McCoy announced when he returned. He briefly touched Spock's temple for a gage in his temperature. He needed to check regularly for a fever.

“Good,” Spock replied. He opened his eyes but didn't look at McCoy. The angle for him to do so wasn't the easiest. 

“You should take a drink. I know Vulcan's don't drink much but, you've had a traumatic injury,” 

“Very well,” Spock agreed. He propped himself up on his elbows and held out a shaky hand for McCoy to pass the canteen of water. McCoy looked away, ignoring the slight shaking even though they both knew McCoy saw it and had nothing better to do than fret over Spock. 

Spock laid back down again when he was done and closed his eyes.   
“You want to eat yet?” McCoy asked. They had rations. It would last a couple of days at most. Then that would become an issue as well. 

“Soon, but not right now,” Spock replied. “You should if you desire it.”

McCoy was hungry. His stomach had been growling for a while now and he decided that it would be better for them both if he didn't wait for Spock to eat. He knew they differed vastly with the needs of a human compared to a vulcan and it wouldn't help matters to pressure Spock in any way to make him feel he should eat just because that's what McCoy needed to do.   
McCoy opened the pack with the food rations in. He went through them all to see what exactly they had. He divided them up into two piles. As Spock was on this trip, some bars had been provided that would suit him and his needs better and McCoy made sure he didn't take any by mistake. He replaced the bars for Spock back into the bag and also put the canteen of water in it as well. He put the pack within easy reach of Spock so he'd be able to get what he needed himself.   
McCoy ate half of his bar, before folding the packaging back up and putting it away for later. He really didn't want to try and find them food. 

“Don't you have some Vulcan healing thing you can do?” McCoy asked. 

Spock kept his eyes closed as he answered. “There is a Vulcan healing trance. However, it would not be ideal to go into that trance at this time.”

“Why not?” 

Spock opened his eyes and looked at McCoy. “Although a Vulcan chooses to go into a healing trance, once in, it is almost like a human in an induced coma. I would be at your mercy. I would not even be able to come out of the trance without your assistance. If something were to happen to you, I would be trapped. Aware of everything around me, but unable to escape the trance. The risks are too great. I can focus all my energy on healing while we wait though. It is a safer option, although the healing process is not as fast as it would be in the healing trance.”

“Is there anything I can do to help?” McCoy asked. 

“You're doing everything that there is to do,” Spock said. “Taking care of yourself is vital.” 

“Yeah, I know,” McCoy said. “What else should I do? I'm not great at this survival stuff.” 

“While we have light, you should gather more fuel for the fire.”

“I'm not leaving you here alone,” McCoy protested. 

“I don't suggest that you go far. And I remind you Doctor of how acute you know my hearing to be. I will hear anything long before you see it.” 

McCoy sighed. He wasn't happy about the idea but even Spock agreed there was no need for him to go far. He'd stay close and Spock could call if anything came close. “Okay,” he agreed. “But you yell if you hear anything!” McCoy warned. 

Spock nodded. He watched McCoy leave and resumed his rest.


End file.
